News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Phuket reports higher infection rate in second Covid tests for Test & Go travellers
With two RT-PCR tests now required for Test & Go travellers, one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, Phuket, is reporting a higher infection rate for the second test. Following the emergence of the Omicron variant in Thailand, with many travellers testing positive for the mutated strain, the Thai government decided to require two RT-PCR tests instead of the initial…
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Thai health officials see signs of dementia in some recovered Covid-19 patients
A number of patients who’ve recovered from Covid-19 are displaying signs of dementia, according to Thai health officials. According to a Nation Thailand report, the Department of Medical Services says the symptoms tend to develop between 1 and 6 months after contracting Covid-19. DMS boss Somsak Ankasil says the risk appears to be higher in patients with pre-existing brain or…
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House speaker insists parliament building is safe, despite several MPs testing positive
The Speaker of the Thai House of Representatives has insisted parliamentary business can continue as normal and that meetings are safe. Chuan Leekpai was responding to news that a number of MPs have tested positive for Covid-19. According to a Bangkok Post report, the speaker is anxious to have sessions continue as normal, pointing out that there are strict Covid-19…
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Tourism officials call for travel bubble talks to resume with Thailand’s neighbours
Thailand’s tourism minister is pushing for travel bubble discussions to resume with neighbouring countries now that the Test & Go scheme has re-started. The Bangkok Post reports that Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn would like to see more reciprocal travel arrangements with countries like Malaysia, Laos, and Cambodia, pointing out that such places normally generate significant cross-border traffic for Thailand. According to Phiphat,…
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US CDC issues Level 4: Very High Risk travel advisory for the Philippines
Although the Philippines is set to reopen its doors to fully vaccinated international visitors this month, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the US is advising its citizens not to travel to the Southeast Asian country due to a “very high level” of Covid-19 infections. The CDC released a statement that those planning to go to the Philippines…
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A review of PlayYard Phuket – a new campground on the island
The following story was written by Barry Daniel. It’s a glorious sunrise morning at 6am and I’m sitting at the edge of the beach on Phuket’s north-east corner, overlooking a stunning vista of the lapping sea channel which leads to Phang Nga Bay framed by a series of glorious rolling hills beyond. Cup of tea to hand, I’m sitting outside…
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Thailand takes steps to fight tiger poaching following last month’s Bengal killings
Thai authorities taking steps to end the longstanding problem of tiger poaching. The move follows last month’s case where two Bengal tigers were killed at a national park in the western province of Kanchanaburi. Park officials found the pelts hung up at a camp and the tiger meat cooking on a grill. The country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and…
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Motorbike rider in Buriram injured from rope that wrapped around her neck
The 28 year old woman driving her motorbike got tied by a random rope, which wrapped around her neck, cutting her. Reports in Thai media say the rope was “mysterious” and it’s unclear where exactly it came from. The motorbike rider says she was driving on the main road in the Isaan province Buriram at around 5am on Monday when…
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Cemetery displays movies for the dead to celebrate Chinese New Year
A cemetery in the northern province of Phichit displayed movies, traditional performances, and fireworks to honour the dead on Chinese New Year last night. The performances and fireworks began at 5pm, honouring the cemetery’s local guardian spirits. The cemetery’s foundation then screened three movies, which honoured the deceased in its 330 graves. The movies were Thai and Chinese classics. The…
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Farmers dress as superheroes to get more customers after drop in sales during pandemic
A Thai sugarcane farmer in Prachin Buri and his brother-in-law are dressing up as Batman and Superman to attract more customers. Sales had dropped since the Covid-19 pandemic, and the two needed a way to bring them back up. The two men sell sugarcane juice every day between 1pm and 3pm at the intersection on Route 359 in Krabin Buri,…
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Wednesday Covid Update: 8,587 new cases; provincial totals
22 coronavirus-related deaths were reported by the CCSA today, raising the pandemic’s death toll in Thailand to 22,207 with 509 of those fatalities since the start of this year. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 8,587 new Covid-19 cases and 8,485 recoveries. There are now 83,094 people in Thailand being treated for Covid-19. Out of…
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Thailand to introduce a registration application for small growers of cannabis
For those who want to grow cannabis, Thailand might soon have a smartphone application for those who wish to register. Thailand’s Public Health Minister, who has been actively touting the health benefits of CBD and pushing for laws to loosen around the once-criminalised plant, says small growers will soon be able to register on an application and then officials would…
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Greek travellers in Phuket claim 200,000 baht in cash was stolen from their car
A Greek family on a trip to Phuket claims around 200,000 baht in cash was stolen. Thai media reports that the family of five is asking for the money to be returned and are even promising to give the thief 500 euros if they return the cash. The family filed a report with the police and asked the hotel to…
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Bangkok man stops car, releases snakes, cuts himself in bizarre ritual-like act
In a bizarre incident outside Bangkok’s major shopping centre CentralWorld, a man stopped his Mercedes Benz in the middle of the street, tossed offering flowers on his car, released three snakes onto the street, took off his shirt and cut his arms with a large knife. He spread the blood around as if it were some kind of ritual. The…
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Inmate with Covid-19 escapes from Koh Samui Hospital, officials set 20,000 baht bounty
There’s a 20,000 baht bounty for those who have information that will lead to the arrest of a Covid-infected inmate who escaped from Koh Samui Hospital. The news follows a statement from Thailand’s Justice Minister on an uptick of inmate escapes, particularly involving those who were in quarantine before being released into the prison population or at a hospital being…
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Thai government sets up “fake news centres” to combat misinformation
A government spokesman has confirmed the formation of new centres dedicated to dealing with “fake news” on social media. Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana says the centres will be created at 3 different levels to coordinate efforts to combat the spread of misinformation. According to a Bangkok Post report, the Cabinet has already approved a draft regulation submitted by the PM’s Office. “The…
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Proposals to up foreign ownership quota for condos, extend leasehold rights rejected
While plans for a 10-year visa scheme for the wealthy and high-skilled professionals is moving forward, proposals to increase the foreign ownership quota for condominiums and the maximum lease for foreigners were rejected by Thailand’s Centre for Economic Situation Administration. The proposal to allow foreigners to hold ownership of one rai of land for residential purposes was agreed in principle.…
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Social media users angered by sale of Wordle to New York Times
Social media users are up in arms over news that the New York Times has purchased the hugely popular online word game, Wordle. On Monday, the NYT confirmed it has purchased Wordle for an undisclosed “low” 7-figure sum. While the publication has stated that the game will remain available to users without the need for a paid subscription, the word…
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Hotels now required to confirm paid room bookings and PCR tests with government
As part of the revamped Test & Go entry scheme, hotels are now required to confirm Thailand Pass bookings within 30 hours or applications will be rejected automatically. According to a Bangkok Post report, hotels must verify room bookings and PCR test appointments with the Foreign Ministry in order for a Thailand Pass application to be approved. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor…
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Slow trickle of travellers through Suvarnabhumi on day 1 of Test & Go reboot
Yesterday, the revamped Test & Go scheme opened for new applications as 46 international flights, carrying around 2,500 passengers, landed at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. According to a Bangkok Post report, most arrivals were from neighbouring countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, with some coming from Europe. As part of the revamped entry scheme, hotels are now required to send drivers to…
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CNY 2022: Ring in the Year of ‘Thaiger’ with a quiet roar
The Lunar New Year, like its solar counterpart on January 1, is a special time for people to let go of the past and embrace a new and brighter future. The date of Chun Jie (Spring Festival) changes from year to year depending on the Chinese lunar calendar, which determines when the 15-day festival will happen between January 21 and…
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Investigation continues after motorbike plummets off Chon Buri overpass
Police in Chon Buri are continuing their investigation to determine the cause of an incident on an overpass in the Klong Tamru sub-district last weekend where a motorbike rider was seriously injured after his bike plummeted off the 10 metre structure, according to The Pattaya News. The incident was reported to emergency responders by a 35 year old witness who…
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Pattaya travel roadshow to visit Saudi Arabia with PM
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed tourism businesses in Pattaya to prepare a travel roadshow for upcoming ministerial visits to Saudi Arabia in order to promote tourism and develop relations between the two nations. Following the directive, governor Yuthasak Supasorn of The Tourism Authority Thailand met with the local entrepreneurs group “One Voice” to reveal the PM’s trip to Saudi Arabia…
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24 Myanmar job seekers arrested in northern province for illegal entry
Thailand’s border security remains tight to dissuade border crossers over Covid-19 outbreak fears. Yesterday, a total of 24 Myanmar nationals, including ethnic Shan people (or Tai Yai as they prefer), were arrested in the northern province of Phitsanulok for illegal entry. Following a tip, Thai immigration police and border authorities detected the 17 women and 7 men on their way…
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Chinese men arrested over alleged shopping application scam
Two Chinese men have been arrested for allegedly defrauding more than 1,000 people for more than 2 billion baht by luring them in to make high investments on an online shopping application. Police in both Bangkok and Chiang Mai received complaints from those who had lost money in the alleged scam. According to the chief of the 191 Patrol and…
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Phuket taxi driver fined 2,000 baht, to do etiquette training after overcharging incident
Authorities have slapped the Phuket taxi driver, who is accused of overcharging a passenger, with a 2,000 baht fine and have ordered him to go through etiquette training. The driver charged a Thai traveller 600 baht for a roughly 20-minute drive from the Kamala Beach area to a hotel Patong Beach. The traveller had tried to book a ride through…
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NeoCoV could be ‘3 times more lethal’ than Covid-19, IF it gains key mutation for humans
Chinese researchers in Wuhan have sounded the alarm on a species of known bat coronavirus that could potentially be 3 times more fatal than Covid-19, the Thai Public Health Commission’s Vice Chairman Chalermchai Boonyaleephan stated yesterday. If the virus were to mutate and make its way to human populations, it could turn into “Covid-22” and eventually be crowned “MERS-CoV-2,” Boonyaleephan said.…
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Thailand’s mask mandate still in place, violators face fines up to 20,000 baht – CCSA
Authorities are warning the public that Thailand’s face mask mandate is still in effect with a maximum fine of 20,000 baht for not wearing an appropriate mask in a public place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration made a post on Facebook, reminding the public of the range of fines for those who do…
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76 inmates escape over the past several months, many from prison quarantine
In the past several months, 76 inmates have escaped from Thai correctional facilities, a significant increase when compared to the previous year. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin says most of the prisoners escaped during the 14-day quarantine at a temporary prison or hospital, which is a requirement before being housed in the general prison population. The minister warned prison authorities to…
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Single Singaporeans ‘rent’ themselves out as dates on TikTok for Lunar New Year celebrations
In what appears to be a meme, Singaporean men have been ‘renting’ themselves out as dates on TikTik to help single young ladies avoid embarrassing relationship-status questions from relatives at family gatherings for Chinese New Year. One such TikToker is Wayne Chia, a Singaporean of Chinese descent. He posted a video of himself posing in a red suit behind a…
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